MORAL AND SEXUAL HARASSEMENT

PREAMBLE

Moral and sexual violence (common in the corporate market) is a serious form of human rights violation that disproportionately affects women, Black people, young people, LGBTQIA+ people, and workers in more vulnerable hierarchical positions. Although often treated as an individual or isolated problem, it is a structural phenomenon related to unequal power relations, permissive organizational culture, and the absence of effective prevention and accountability mechanisms.

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Moral violence, often associated with workplace harassment, occurs when a worker is repeatedly and systematically exposed to situations of humiliation, embarrassment, intimidation, professional disqualification, or isolation. These practices can manifest through abusive demands, unattainable goals, public criticism, veiled threats, deliberate exclusion from activities, or rumors that affect the professional's reputation. The impact goes beyond the work environment, compromising the victim's mental health, self-esteem, and career path.

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Sexual violence, which includes sexual harassment, involves unwanted sexual behaviors such as innuendo, comments, gestures, physical contact, persistent invitations, or blackmail associated with professional benefits or disadvantages. In the corporate context, this type of violence is aggravated by hierarchy, when the aggressor uses their position of power to coerce or silence the victim, creating an environment of fear and insecurity.

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These forms of violence can occur in any economic sector, in companies of all sizes, and are not always visible. Many victims fail to report for fear of retaliation, job loss, damage to reputation, or institutional discredit. As a result, a large proportion of cases remain underreported, making it difficult to understand the true extent of the problem.

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Public data and institutional surveys in Brazil indicate that moral and sexual harassment is among the main causes of work-related mental illness, absenteeism, decreased productivity, and employee turnover. Furthermore, the increase in reports in recent years does not necessarily reflect an increase in cases, but also greater awareness and a search for protection channels.

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Preventing moral and sexual violence in the corporate environment requires institutional commitment, clear integrity policies, secure reporting channels, continuous leadership training, and an organizational culture based on respect, dignity, and equality. Addressing this problem is not only a legal obligation, but an essential step towards building healthy, inclusive, and socially responsible work environments.

OUR ACTION

Hands On Human Rights works to combat moral and sexual violence in the corporate market from a strategic, humanized, and human rights-oriented approach, recognizing these practices as structural violations resulting from unequal power relations.

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Its work involves welcoming and providing a qualified diagnosis of cases, with safe listening and analysis of the organizational context, followed by legal assistance to victims, guidance on rights, reporting channels, and protection measures. Whenever necessary, Hands On accompanies cases with companies, public bodies, and the justice system, focusing on stopping the violence and protecting the victim.

In a complementary way, the organization develops prevention and institutional awareness actions, supporting companies in building integrity policies, protocols for dealing with harassment, and leadership training, contributing to safer, more ethical, and inclusive work environments.